Reuters reported last Friday that Amazon launched a new innovation named Amazon Dash. It allows users to add groceries to their online shopping lists in their kitchen by speaking or scanning barcodes. It looks amazingly simple.

The Dash connects to the Wi-Fi network at your home. If you say – or scan – items into the Dash, you can then view the list on your desktop or mobile and purchase them at AmazonFresh. You can order 500.000 different articles. Here’s a picture of the Dash:

Amazon reports four advantages using the Dash:

Simply say it or scan it — add items to your shopping list from anywhere in your home.

Easy to use for the whole family — everyone can help.

Add items as you go — shop effortlessly throughout your day.

Never forget an item again — Dash remembers so you don’t have to.

With the Dash, Amazon radically innovates the way we shop our groceries. The Dash will be copied by all online grocery stores because it solves ‘daily frictions’ of customers like “I forgot to order something” and “I lost my grocery list”. It looks really cool too.

Reuters reports that Amazon has plans to launch AmazonFresh, which has operated in Seattle for years, in roughly 20 urban areas in 2014, including some outside the United States.

Helen is the key contributor and editor of This is Retail. Featured as a key influencer in Adnews 40 under 40, Helen is considered to be one of the leading retail creative minds in Australia. Not only was she instrumental in building the ALDI brand in Australia and creating the Smarter Shopping positioning, but she is also the creative brains behind rolling Rebel Sport's new positioning into the market. She is a regular participant in the Westfield Retail Study Tour, and contributor on retail best practice.
Helen is currently the ECD of Retail at CHE Proximity and Co-founder of Rhubarb&Custard, a specialist retail and digital communications agency.